It’s August—which means it’s almost time for back to school. Coming up with lunch ideas for school can be challenging in general, but extra challenging when you need to come up with gluten-free lunch ideas! This is especially important if your school cafeteria does not accommodate your child’s specific gluten-free needs (not to mention adding in the complexity of needing nut-free, dairy-free, or vegan lunches). Due to this, it’s so important to plan ahead when it comes to prepping lunch for your gluten-free child.
I like to make a list of the lunches I’ll pack that week (I usually pick 2 ideas a week and alternate days so they don’t get too bored with what I pack!). Then I plan it on my menu planner and shopping list. I also keep a couple fall back ideas available for when I just can’t even. You know what I mean. 😉 You can download your own weekly menu planner and shopping list here for FREE so you’re not caught off guard.
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I have a couple ideas that I use over and over for my kids—but the variety is lacking. I needed some more ideas, so I reached out to some blogger friends and they shared some of their gluten-free lunch ideas. And now, I share them with you. 😊 Here’s a roundup of 15+ gluten-free lunch ideas for back to school!
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Main Star Gluten-Free Lunch Ideas!
These gluten-free lunch ideas are strong enough to be the main star of your kids’ lunch. Throw in a couple sides and a drink and you’ll be all set. (Keep reading for sides ideas at the end!)
1. TURKEY CHEESE APPLE SANDWICHES
(nut-free, leave out the cheese for dairy-free)
2. APPLE PEANUT BUTTER SANDWICHES
(dairy-free, vegan, substitute sun butter for a nut-free lunch!)
My recipe for these quesadillas with a pizza twist are easy to cook up and taste great warm or cold! Plus, you can fill them with any of your kids’ favorite pizza toppings.
4. VEGAN RAINBOW VEGETABLE TORTILLA WRAP
(dairy-free, nut-free—double check your hummus!, vegan)
Is your gluten-free kid a lover of world cuisine? These muffin tin sushi cups by Rhian’s Recipes will be perfect! Just make sure that your soy sauce is gluten-free—or use coconut aminos. Plus—these are great to make ahead and use throughout the week.
Every kid loves Lunchables! If your gluten-free kid is disappointed they don’t get Lunchables like everyone else, pack them this gluten-free copycat by Strength and Sunshine. This recipe makes 3 servings (see—prepping ahead) and the crust is not only gluten-free, but grain-free as well. (If dairy-free cheese isn’t your thing, just sub regular mozzarella and any toppings you wish).
8. EASY ASIAN TUNA VERMICELLI NOODLE SALAD
(dairy-free, nut free)
My girls LOVE noodles—they are so fun to eat! This Asian tuna vermicelli noodle salad by Fearless Dining is one of those lunches that kids find fun to eat. This recipe makes 4 servings—and you’ll find yourself packing it for lunch too!
9. The Best Low Carb Ham and Egg Cups
(nut-free, to make it dairy free leave out the cheese and use a non-dairy milk)
If your child has access to a microwave to heat up their lunch, pack them these ham & egg cups by Easy Low Carb Recipes. They are packed with protein and have veggies for an extra health punch! This is another make-ahead option for easy prep. Just make sure your cooking spray is gluten-free! My favorite is this one by Chosen Foods.
10. CRUSTLESS PIZZA – LOW CARB HAM AND CHEESE
(nut-free)
Every kid loves pizza. This crustless pizza by Low Carb Yum is another great protein-filled option for kids who can heat their lunches. This is another one of the gluten-free lunch ideas that you can prep ahead of time for the coming week!
If your kid has access to a microwave at lunch, keep a couple of these hidden in the pantry for those times when you just couldn’t get your planning together for gluten-free lunch ideas. These will save you!
12. CAULIFLOWER LETTUCE WRAPS
(dairy free, nut free)
These portable lettuce wraps by Kiss my Keto are simple and easy to make ahead. Plus, the cauliflower makes for the perfect ‘hidden veggie’ for kids.
Meal Booster Gluten-Free Lunch Ideas!
These gluten-free lunch ideas are great additions to pack as a snack, add in as a side, or could totally be the star for a younger or light eater.
13. CRACKERS, CHEESE, AND PEPPERONI
(nut-free–depending on cracker ingredients)
This is one of my kids’ favorite lunches. I cut up some cheese, add some gluten-free pepperoni (I like Applegate Farms), and some gluten-free crackers. Easy peasy! You could do this with other lunch meats as well for a gluten-free kind of Lunchable.
14. YOGURT, FRUIT, & GRANOLA
(for nut-free choose nut-free granola. For dairy-free/vegan, use coconut or soy yogurt)
This is another fallback idea for my kids. They love to make a parfait of yogurt, fruit, and granola in their lunch. I pack it all separate and they love to add the fruit and granola to their yogurt at lunch time. Just make sure that your granola is certified gluten-free!
I actually really love this Paleo granola because it has low sugar levels and doesn’t contain oats and other grains. Thrive Market makes a bunch of Paleo granola flavors as well: the pumpkin pie one is totally one of our favorites!
My kids love muffins and they love bananas. These keto banana bread muffins by Savory Tooth are a slam dunk for them! Make sure you include a pat of butter. Plus, since these are made out of almond flour, they have a good amount of protein and won’t cause a sugar crash!
16. CHEDDAR BACON BISCUITS
(dairy-free)
These cheddar bacon biscuits by Pink Fortitude will keep your child full! Plus, since the recipe makes a large batch of 20 biscuits I’d freeze some for last-minute lunches.
Do you have another favorite gluten-free lunch idea? Comment below and share it with us. And don’t forget—download your FREE weekly menu planner and shopping list below so you are always prepared with your favorite gluten-free lunch ideas!
Are you ready to do gluten-free living totally STRESS-FREE? Get FREE instant access to my online library of free printables designed to make your gluten-free lifestyle totally easy!
One of the questions I get the most from readers is: “What is the best gluten-free cake mix?” Whether getting ready for a birthday party or wanting to use a gluten-free cake mix as the base of another recipe entirely (like bars or cookies), finding a good gluten-free cake mix opens up many gluten-free baking possibilities! Keep on reading for reviews of gluten-free cake mix and frosting!
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King Arthur is a brand I enjoyed even before I knew gluten-free was a thing. Their baking mixes (regular and gluten-free) are delicious and when I first started experimenting with gluten-free baking I started with King Arthur mixes. When I read the ingredient list on the box of the King Arthur gluten-free yellow cake mix I was relieved to see that it didn’t contain gluten, dairy, soy, or nuts! The box even has clear directions on the back for how to keep the cake dairy-free. Score!
If you haven’t made a King Arthur mix before, there are more steps involved than a typical cake mix that you just throw together and toss in the oven. It’s a bit labor intensive, but not at all difficult.
Overall Score: 5/5
This is the cake mix I most often bring to events or parties. Often, people will choose it and like it more than the gluten-filled desserts. This truly is a delicious mix.
Although you can find this product at many local grocery stores and on Amazon.com, I find that it is usually cheaper at Thrive Market.
Are you ready to do gluten-free living totally STRESS-FREE? Get FREE instant access to my online library of free printables designed to make your gluten-free lifestyle totally easy!
This gluten-free cake mix is a great option if you are trying to eat paleo-friendly! It’s an easy one to whip together, plus it only contains a few simple ingredients (yes, simple). The box has directions for making one 8 inch round cake or 12 cupcakes.
I baked it in my 8 inch Wilton Aluminum Round Cake Pan sprayed with Chosen Foods avocado oil spray dusted with the cake mix (per box directions). I whisked the mix with my silicone whisk.
Pros:
The finished product–while you can’t really see the cake itself, you can tell that it held up its shape well out of the pan and didn’t cave in!
Bob’s Red Mill gluten-free flours and cake mixes have been around for years. They’ve been in the gluten-free business a loooong time, so they have a large variety of products! One bag of this gluten-free cake mix makes a lot of batter. It can make 2- 8in or 9in round pans, a 9x13in pan, or 18-20 standard sized cupcakes.
We didn’t dress this up fancy, because it was becoming trifle!
The flavor of this cake mix is a pretty classic vanilla cake flavor
One package makes a lot of cake
The package also includes directions to make a white cake
Cons:
The cake is a bit crumbly
The finished product can turn out dense (which is why I beat it with the whisk attachment to give it some more air)
Overall Score: 3.5/5
While we buy this mix frequently, we don’t usually eat it straight up as cake. This is a mix we often turn into something else (most recently my mom used it as the cake base in trifle). When we have this mix, we often reference our book: The Cake Mix Doctor Bakes Gluten-Free to ‘doctor’ it up!
Keep on reading for reviews of premade gluten-free frosting AND an awesome FREEBIE just for you.
Are you ready to do gluten-free living totally STRESS-FREE? Get FREE instant access to my online library of free printables designed to make your gluten-free lifestyle totally easy!
The frosting when I first stirred it in the can, you can see it’s super airy!
My little 2 year old niece is not only gluten-free, but dairy-free, soy-free, and nut-free. Finding a gluten-free premade frosting can be challenging enough, but throwing in dairy, soy, and nut free also? I wondered if it would be impossible. With all the other things that pile up on to-do lists, I don’t want to think about making something from scratch. When I found this canned frosting, I was so excited! I knew that I could pair it with the King Arthur gluten-free cake mix above and have a cake that is safe for her to eat too! It can also be paired with the Simple Mills cake mixes to stay fairly Paleo friendly. I followed the directions and ensured that the frosting was room-temperature before attempting to spread it on my cake. Here’s my review:
Pros:
The finished product!
Comes in a can, ready to go. No prep!
Only 8 clean, easy recognizable, ingredients (have you looked at the ingredients lists of other canned frosting??)
The flavor is yummy! It’s very chocolatey. (Due to coconut oil as a main ingredient I was concerned about an overpowering coconut taste. There isn’t one!)
Cons:
It was a little difficult to spread. The frosting was very thick, so it was a bit tricky to spread it without tearing the cake. Note: tricky but not I was able to frost an entire cake without many crumbs at all! It just took some extra care.
When we sliced & served the cake, the frosting stuck to the cake server instead of the cake.
Overall Score: 4/5
Update: We just tried Simple Mills’ Vanilla Frosting. It was good too–I personally like the chocolate better (because, chocolate!), but Tyler was a bigger fan of the vanilla. I personally found the vanilla to be more sweet and less rich than the chocolate. Also, due to the stickiness and stiffness of the frosting when I used it before, I microwaved this can (remove the foil first!) for 7 seconds and then stirred it up. It was SO easy to spread!
Be sure to add some of these gluten-free cake mixes to your meal plan and shopping list. I created a weekly meal planner and shopping list just for you!
Download it for free here and get instant access to all my whole FREE resource library designed to make your gluten-free lifestyle totally easy!
because they are gluten-free!)
